Today's Top Tune

Two critically acclaimed and KCRW favorite artists are joining forces. The French band Phoenix teams with the falsetto lending tenor of Mexican neo psych-rock Zoé frontman León Larregui for a sleek and sophisticated Spanish/English mix on “Artefact.” Voilà, it’s buenisimo!

Areli Castro aka KiNG MALA recently shared her new EP Spilt Milk and revealed “it is a project full of songs I have loved for years now. A culmination of two years of writing, and experimenting, and gathering all the things I’ve loved into one project. It’s the vault, it's all the secrets I’ve kept for so long.” Take a listen to the soft vulnerability of “i only smoke to feel bad” to know that it is true.

A deft vocalist with a sensual sound, LA-based Carly Bond — who’s music is heard under the moniker Meernaa — is not only a songwriter but is also a sound engineer and partner at Altamira Sound studios . Meernaa’s sophomore album So Far So Good was released earlier this year, and on it you’ll find “As Many Birds Flying;” one of the songs performed as she recently made her debut at School Night to the delight of the crowd.

It’s Friday and we’re heading into the home stretch for 2023, so let’s kick-start December with a banger from Quantic . For his disco-leaning ten-song album Dancing While Falling, recorded in his Brooklyn studio, Quantic lets rhythm meet-and-mingle with soul on “Stand Up.”

Jazz vocalist, pianist, and composer Sarah McKenzie teams up with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo, cellist Jacques Morelenbaum, and drummer Peter Erskine (known for his work with Weather Report) on her new album Without You, spotlighting her performance at The Blue Note jazz club in Rio where she met Jacques and Romero. The album shines a light on a batch of Antonio Carlos Jobim songs and a few original compositions, including her song “Quoi, Quoi, Quoi.”

Conjuring a classic yesteryear sound, the formidable whistler Molly Lewis had an equally formidable 2023: She was featured on the soundtrack to Barbie, lent her talents to fashion houses including Gucci and Hermes, and supported Weyes Blood on tour.

Today we are celebrating songwriter and guitar wizard Christone “Kingfish” Ingram ’s latest Grammy nomination, this time in the Contemporary Blues category, for his stunningly recorded new double live album Live In London. A career-defining release, the record culls from his Grammy Award-winning record 662 and his Grammy-nominated debut Kingfish. We choose the head-melting vocals and tasty soulful undulations of “She Calls Me Kingfish.”

A prolific electronic pioneer based in Los Angeles, and half of the duo Wajatta with Reggie Watts, John Tejada just released his 15th solo album, Resound. The record marks a new direction in Tejada’s sound, taking a noisier, lofi route to express his emotion. This sonic destination weaves screens of feedback and dirty, delayed textures with classic analog drum machines. A tight 36 minutes of essential tracks, “Simulacrum” is the lead single serving as a prelude to the compositions that follow.

Meet CELEBS , a sibling trio hailing from a town of less than 300 on the northern tip of the West Fjords of Iceland. In the dead of winter, after an intense discussion about their love of live music back in 2019, they made a pact to start a party band. Their aim was to offer a place of refuge from everyday worries and forget your troubles at the door; once inside, fans surrender to the experience of euphoria and fun. They’ve stayed true to their aim.

A rising star on the Icelandic music scene, singer-songwriter Bríet creates most of her work with her longtime musical partner, writer, and producer Ásgeir. Their sexy duet “Venus” took years to perfect and revolves around the idea of waking up after an intimate evening to realize you are in love.